Entrepreneurs simply cannot do it all. We certainly try, but there are tasks we do that we love and there are business tasks that we do that we hate — and frankly that we are bad at. Outsourcing those tasks at which we don’t excel is the solution but how to effectively outsource is a question entrepreneurs struggle with and ultimately procrastinate.

Entrepreneurs will also procrastinate tasks at which they aren’t good or which they don’t like and that saps productivity and, frankly, our mental energy. Procrasination is a weight that pushes against us and weighs us down. It’s truly never out of sight, out of mind. Undone tasks are always there.

How To Effectively Outsource

We know we need to work on our core business competencies — that is what our business is focused on, right? We also know there are tasks that the business requires (bookkeeping, blogging, marketing, etc.) that aren’t in our wheelhouse, but we do them anyway — rather than outsourcing them.

Why is outsourcing such a frightening prospect?

What if we hire the “wrong” person

What if they don’t perform the task the way we would?

There are others, but these are the top that I’ve heard. If you take your time and vet the contractor or employee, you won’t have hired the “wrong” person. If you have, you need to let that person go and begin your search again. As long as the task gets done, and gets done correctly, does it matter if it’s performed the way you would have done it? Not really.

Your business runs on the skills you offer, the problems you fix for your clients and a need your skills or products fill. Successful entrepreneurs understand they can’t let the tasks they don’t enjoy or at which they don’t excel get in the way of running the business they love. They learned to outsource. Take a moment and consider what your hourly rate is. Now look at a task you procrasinate. If you did that task, how long would it take? What would it “cost” you in lost business time? How much would it cost you to hire someone to do that task? I’ll bet you find you will save money by outsourcing.

It is your core competency and expertise that makes your business valued by your clients, they don’t care what goes on in the background. You need to rely on the expertise of others to complete those tasks that allow you to interact more fully with your clients. Outsourcing will enhance productivity and your business’s bottom line.

The benefits you gain by outsourcing will be outweighed by the time you spend hiring the individual. You should be focusing on the business for which your clients pay you, right? If you need assistance in outsourcing your marketing, or if you need a business coach to help you through business challenges, reach out to us, we can help.

Have you ever asked yourself do you lead or do you manage? Did you even know there was a difference? Employees know the difference and they really feel it the most when the time comes for their annual reviews. During the annual review, your employee will find out — in that brief time — whether they’re doing a good job, an okay job or if they have a lot of room for improvement. It is a nerve wracking time for them but it is a time for you to shine as a leader — not a manager.

Leaders can spot talent. Leaders will work with an employee who shows potential to coach them to a higher level of engagement and ownership in their job. A leader coaches the employee with promise and offers them opportunities to keep them engaged and invested in their job. A manager, simply piles on the work with no direction or feed back and the employee must continually “prove” his or her worth to the manager.

Be a leader and rely on a review schedule throughout the year rather than the annual one hour review of the employee’s performance. Done the right way you can coach and lead an employee who shows potential to a higher level of success — and your business will benefit.

Do You Lead Or Do You Manage?

Here are steps to make you a leader not a manager.

Build mutual respect. If you have a daily relationship with your employees there is a greater level of trust and respect and this will make leading a more beneficial relationship.

Set the tone when you meet with him or her. If you’re starting a leading or coaching session, set the groundwork so the employee feels comfortable with a give and take. This is not your usual annual review where they need to “prove” to you they’re valuable and you are filling out a form based on little interaction with them beforehand.

Explore alternatives and ways for the employee to take greater ownership of his or her job. Your employee is “in the trenches” he or she may very well have a different aka better way of looking at potential changes to the workflow or environment in their department.

When is the last time you sat down with your employees and had a talk with them about their jobs, about ways they feel they could perform at higher levels and whether they have aspirations within the company? If you can’t remember the last time, chances are you are a manager. Commit today to become a leader within your company.

If you’re an entrepreneur, maybe you’re considering starting a blog or a newsletter for your business. Maybe you already have a blog or newsletter for your busienss but you may be wondering how to write better business content. If you’re not getting engagement on your blog posts or your social media posts and if no one is opening your newsletters, you may need to look at your process.

Writing is an art, but you can learn to do it — if that’s what you want to do. Many entrepreneurs perfer to focus on their core competencies and hire professional writers who can create content for them. Regardless of how you go about creating content here are some tips to help you along.

How To Write Better Business Content

Write frequently. The more you write the better you will be. Just as athletes understand that the more they practice, the better they will get at their sport the same goes for writing. When you get into a writing habit you hone your skills and it will come more easily to you when you do it.

Read often. If you don’t read you will have a harder time creating content. Also, reading keeps you up on current events — if you read newspapers. Reading books and blog posts or other content in your industry keeps you current on the trends. You should always stay as informed as possible.

Understand your reason for writing for your business. Do you want to be seen as the go-to expert in your field? Do you want to get speaking engagements based on your content? Are you looking to make sales? Know why you want to write then craft your writing strategy for your business based on that.

Choose topics wisely. Remember, you cannot be everything to everyone. Choose what you write about and why. When you choose a blog topic, stick to one topic. It is easy to get off topic. When you do that, make note of the topic you veered off on and use that for a blog post at a later date.

Read it aloud or ask for a friend or colleague to read it for you. Even though you can easily go back into a blog post and make changes, it’s best to put your best words forth.

Do you write for your business? Do you need to write, but just haven’t or don’t know where to start? Let me know, I can help!

Baby boomers are finding that a side hustle is helping them make ends meet once they have retired from full time employment. Many people find that their side hustle is a hobby they have long pursued, but are now looking to turn into a source of revenue.

3 Ways To Make Your Side Hustle Work

Know that the decision to get started is the hardest. It’s scary to “put yourself out there” and take a chance on YOU. I know it. I work with entrepreneurs all of the time who had to take that first step and make the leap by trusting in themselves and that they had a viable business idea. It may be scarier if you are relying on the side gig to bring in full time money, but baby steps.

Chart a path toward success. You may not know the most direct route toward success. You may not even truly know what success means to you. It could mean freedom or success could mean financial success. Only you know what success means to you. You don’t necessarily need to know the end game, but you do need to make forward movement on it in order to move your way down that path.

Write down the path you want to take. Write down what success means to you. Write down how much money you need or want to make. Write down specific steps you need to take to move forward. Writing it down is the first step in putting together a business plan — which you may need in the future.